Trigger Treat! Armed Robbers Catch Lead In Halloween Weekend Robbery

A trio of armed robbers attempted to pull off a Halloween weekend robbery in northwest Charlotte Saturday, but they didn’t get the “treats” they wanted out of the cash register, as one of the employee’s pulled his personal handgun and opened fire.

A west Charlotte Pizza Hut employee shot and killed a man trying to rob the restaurant early Sunday morning, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said.

Three people tried just before 1:40 a.m. to break into the Pizza Hut at 3215 Freedom Drive, officials said.

Police said the initial investigation shows that an employee fired his personal handgun at one of the armed intruders. The man died at the scene and has not been identified. Police found the intruder’s gun he was carrying when he was shot at the scene.

The two other intruders ran away on foot and have not yet been found.

No customers were at the restaurant at the time.

Pizza Hut employees in Charlotte have a history of being lethally effective in defending themselves with fellow employees with their handguns—an employee killed two of three robbers in 2010—but while the chain allows customers to carry firearms into their stores where allowed by law, they’ve long had a policy against employees being armed.

This means that even though the armed employee likely saved lives (the murder of employees during robberies is sadly common), he likely faces being terminated for using his handgun.

It’s absurd, isn’t it?

If you think that it’s wrong for the unnamed employee to lose his job for responsibly using his gun to save lives, you have several options to make your voice heard.

Pizza Hut’s corporate headquarters line is listed as 1-502-874-8300, or 1-800-948-8488.

Pizza Hut’s corporate office in Charlotte can be contacted at (704) 845-5630.

If you choose to contact Pizza Hut to express support for this employee, please be polite. Tell them that you support the right of Pizza Hut employees to protect themselves and each other, just as Pizza Hut respects the right of customers to bare arms in their stores.